Magnum De L’Escarbot

Greetings from the last frontier, Magnum was on fire today. We hunted some alpine terrain on Douglas Island where Magnum pointed seven ptarmigan and three blue grouse. He searched the thick stuff for wounded birds with the afterburner lit. Wasn’t sure if he was flying low or running high. It is such a thrill to see him lock up at your feet or find him on point 150 feet out in the bush. Love those GPS collars! He found a cripple 75 yard off in the thick bush. Like I said – at six years of age he is a dog on fire. Love him.

Frank Bergstrom
Juneau, AK

Avenall de L’Escarbot – Patches

Purchasing one of your dogs was one of the best decisions I ever made. He was a great hunting dog and a great companion!

Avenall de L’Escarbot
Sire – Storm De L’Escarbot
Dam – Rose De L’Escarbot  

Etoc De’ L’Escarbot

Today is a very sad day at L’Escarbot Kennels. One of the best dogs I have had the pleasure of owning, training, and hunting alongside, Etoc De’ L’Escarbot, has passed away peacefully at 13-years-old.

Etoc was an amazing dog who, at six months of age in North Dakota, made three very memorable blind retrieves on ducks. As the evening sky dimmed, Etoc made his way through fifteen yards of cattails and swam another twenty yards to more cattails where he found the first of three mallards. Etoc brought to hand the first duck. He quickly turned around and headed back into the cattails for another tough retrieve. Etoc had scented the second bird on his first retrieve. Remember he was six months old. He returned with the second bird to hand. We had to move down the shoreline to send him on the third bird. When we got to where I thought the bird was, I released him telling him, “dead bird.” He went right back in the cattails, nose snorting and mud flying, as the sun went over the North Dakota horizon. We could only hear Etoc swimming and then sounds of the chase. The duck was crippled and giving this young dog a workout. Five minutes later a muddy and totally wet, but very proud, Etoc emerged with a live hen mallard in his mouth.

This was the beginning of a true champion. Etoc was the type of dog that when asked to go to work in the field, would obey every command with joy. That fall we shot many pheasants, quail and partridge behind this young male. This was the beginning of a true friendship.

Etoc and I trained hard twice a day for months to prepare for a field trial in France. Two months ahead of our trip my boy Etoc, who was an amazing retriever, decided to go to the retrieve and bring the bird three quarters of the way back and just look at me. This was the first real hiccup that we had in his training. Etoc was testing me as a trainer and he knew it frustrated me. So off to my friend down the road for a little force fetch. Etoc never really fought the force fetch. Instead he learned quickly that it was easier to just do what was asked of him.

At two-and-a-half years old, Etoc, my brother, Bruce, and I flew to France to see how this young male would match up against some very stiff competition. We arrived at CDG airport in Paris in the late morning, picked up our rental van and drove six hours to a hotel for the night, which was still a couple hours from the town of Escourse in southwest France where the shoot to retrieve field trial was being held. Etoc had an airplane ride, a van ride, and an overnight hotel stay before another two-hour ride to the field trial the next morning.

Etoc was entered in the trial on a solo run. He went out in a pine forest with planted pheasants and proceeded to run at a very fast clip, straight into a stump. I saw him go ass over tea kettle and then quickly get up and run another twenty yards to a solid point. I was amazed that he even got back up at all after the collision with the stump. He held point through the flush by the gunners and the shot that downed the rooster. I proceeded to ask the judge if I could send him on the retrieve, the request was granted. Etoc then made a perfect retrieve to hand. The judge told me to let Etoc go again. About four minutes later Etoc had another rooster pinned with a beautiful point in lavender flowers. I will never forget that moment, how beautiful it all was. My dog Etoc in southwestern France, in a pine forest, in beautiful lavender, on point. He was flawless and proceeded to take a first place, amazing the crowd that had heard of his superb run.

It still amazes me how this wonderful dog handled all the travel and still preformed at such a high level. Etoc went on to do the same thing the next day, taking another first place. That afternoon Etoc took a third place, outdone by a couple local champions that were handled by one of the top trainers in France. Etoc had found two birds and again flawlessly did his thing. The two dogs ahead had found three and four finds to outdo the American traveler.

The next spring in at the National trial in Morris, Minnesota, Etoc had an epic run in a driving snowstorm, that amazed the gallery of people following his run. Etoc proceeded to find four chuckers and do everything right. Etoc held steady through flush and shot birds with perfect retrieves. He covered the whole field with ease. I looked at the judge and asked had they seen enough and the judge responded that Etoc had four minutes left in his run. This was the moment I realized the judge either wanted Etoc to finish out the time or they just wanted to see if Etoc would fail. In hindsight, I would have run the time out, since he already had an amazing four perfect points and retrieves.

In those last four minutes, in a driving snowstorm with heavy wet snow, with about six inches of snow on the ground, Etoc finds and points the fifth bird. The bird had been there awhile and was totally wet and couldn’t fly. The judge had the gunner reach in and throw the bird. As soon as they went to grab the bird, instead of flushing the bird, Etoc moved and the judge DQ’d him.

Etoc would have won the national title easily that year if it hadn’t been for a wet bird and a judge that couldn’t get enough of this unreal run. People in the gallery saw all of this and came up to me afterwards and said they had never seen a run like that ever.

That was my boy Etoc, who went on many trips to Montana, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Kansas, California and of course the great state of Minnesota.

We all hope for that one great dog in our lives and I have had the pleasure of having more that just one. Etoc is at the top of that list of outstanding L’Escarbot Kennel dogs.

I go to the kennel now to train, and my boy isn’t there anymore, its like I lost something.

Many stories have been told about great dogs. This is another one for the books.

John Mooney
Owner
L’Escarbot Kennels
Hampton, MN

Pierrot

Howdy John,

Pierrot is been a great dog from the get go, easy to train and love to please…. you can tell my wife about the pleasing, a real mommy’s boy!

At one year old in September he pointed Hungarian Partridge, cock pheasant and sharp-tail in Montana. In October grouse and woodcocks in Wisconsin. Coveys of quail in Oklahoma for December.

We started the “shoot to Retrieve “ NSTRA after to finish with a Kentucky state Amateur championship on April 3!

All amateur dogs that finished top 3 in a trial during the season made the cut.

20 dogs started that day and top 8 were going for afternoon elimination. It was beat your brace mate from now on and Pierrot was paired in the first race with a 5 year old Setter Two time National Champion in the United Field Trial association. The owner told me in the blind he started NSTRA last month to make him champion in both (UFTA and NSTRA). Pierrot found 5 birds and the setter…..0.

Cyril De L’Escarbot

My story with Cyril De L’Escarbot started after the loss of my black & white Epagneul Breton Arty to cancer related complications at 7 ½ years. It didn’t take to long for me to realize that I was lost without a dog in my life. I’m an avid bird hunter with a large network of hunting partners all of which have pointing dogs.

I contacted John Mooney to discuss options on an Epagneul Breton puppy. John told me he had a started dog for sale and suggested that if I was interested I needed to make a decision soon. That prompted a trip from Southern CA to L’Escarbot Kennels where I was introduced to 14 month old Cyril De L’Escarbot.

We met Cyril and observed John working him in the field on a few planted Chukar. I made the decision to take the dog on the spot. Cyril would be making an air flight to his new home in California. I drove back from L’Escarbot Kennels to the hotel thinking about what I would be facing in bringing a 14 month old kennel raised dog into the house.

I will say there was and adjustment period for us and Cyril. House breaking was incredibly easy as Cyril was a very smart boy. More than a few household items were sacrificed during the transition but Cyril earned full access to the backyard and the house via a pet door.

When I first started training with Cyril on live birds we had a few issues. A quick call to John and we were quickly on tract (it was me). The kind of bird hunting I generally do in the Western U.S. can best be described as big country primarily hunting the various Quail (Valley, Mountain, and Gambles), Pheasant, Chukar and Huns.

The first season Cyril and I hunted together was a learning experience. The Chukar and Gambles Quail of the California / Arizona desert areas gave Cyril fits. The country is tough and those birds run and they run. This kind of hunting was a far cry from Minnesota or South Dakota. Cyril learned quickly and adapted.

By season two Cyril was handling birds amazingly well. He became a master at handling running birds. I can’t count the number of times that Cyril was working running birds that I had not seen. Some of these episodes are just seared in my brain. It didn’t matter how tough the country was, and we did hunt some tough country, Cyril just kept going – what heart.

Season three found Cyril and me hunting alone more than we had ever previously done. I found I enjoyed the solitude of no constant whistles, yelling and other distractions. Cyril quickly learned to hunt via hand signals. A tap on the controller to send Cyril’s collar a page/tone would have Cyril checking back for direction. A simple hand signal and off we went. This was fun, no this was amazing.

I’m getting to be an old guy and I thought my knowledge of game birds habits, requirements, and preferences was at a fairly high level. But the truth is that Cyril taught me a lot about some of the species we hunted. Somewhere along the line my hunting focus changed dramatically. I learned to let Cyril and his uncanny natural ability take over rather than me orchestrating everything. I learned one very valuable lesson which was proven time and time again “always trust the dog”.

I learned it worked best if I just kind of steered the ship towards a general direction and focused on keeping Cyril out of harm’s way. As I grew to really love this dog I became more cognizant of the fact that every time we put our dogs on the ground to hunt we put them at risk. We had our share of rattle snakes, coyote, barbed wire, and other encounters but nothing too severe. Those of us that hunt with our dogs have seen a few too many cases where dogs were injured or worse.

Cyril and I became a packaged deal. Everywhere it was possible to take him with me he went. I think he knew his way around Home Depot better than I did, and he sure got a lot more attention. We participated in several local field trials and gun dog challenge events over the years where at times I let down the team. I think Cyril’s’ favorite activity was the annual youth pheasant hunts hosted by the California Department of Fish and Game. We would volunteer as a guide and dog combo. Cyril loved the kids and pointing and retrieving 20 plus planted roosters in a day. That was pure joy for him.

Age started to catch up to Cyril. His eyesight, hearing, and a front shoulder joint issue really became impactful after 12 years. He still hunted at 12 (slowly) and the last hunt is a bitter sweet memory for me. The wallpaper on my phone is a photo of him retrieving the last bird I shot over him. Cyril lived out the rest of his life being spoiled rotten. The Covid situation had me working from home the last 7 months of Cyril’s life. He and I were attached at the hip 24 /7 and I am so thankful for that time.

We may have the privilege of owning several good dogs over the course of a lifetime but I believe we are allotted only one “Special Dog”. I came to realize over our years together that Cyril de L’Escarbot was my special dog (a very special Epagneul Breton) and I made sure he knew it. It’s funny how much our dogs become a part of our life and routines. It’s a very sad when they are no longer there. They leave such a void in the household. I still catch myself sometimes reaching into the backseat of my truck to give Cyril a quick rub only to realize he’s not there. I’m reminded of the title of the book by David A Webb “Empty Collars”. An empty collar is such a sad reminder but also a trigger to a vast storehouse of happy memories and experiences we shared together.

Cyril boy, we spent a lot of time together, drove a lot of road trip miles and walked some awesome country together. Thank you for the memories my old friend, you are missed so much.

Cyril de L’Escarbot
Dam: Voyouse du Buisson de Choisel (France)
Sire: Adhoc des Vivrays (France)
Owner: Dave Cady (CA)
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

Chappy

John,
Hope all is well.

This may be a first for a L’Escarbot dog I don’t know. We were on the edge of an Alder swap and spruce thick when young Chappy locks up on point by a blow down. I approach and no bird so I’m thinking a porcupine was tucked under there. My friend had never seen a porcupine so I started rooting around in this blow down when much to my surprise a large black bear jumped out just inches from me and Chappy. Fortunately he turned and ran away.

We are currently in South Dakota having a blast. Another testament couple of the guys I’m with keep commenting about both my dogs work ethic and how the just never stop and attack the heavy cover and how impressive it is to watch them work. Chappy is coming along nicely.

Thanks again take care….
Matt Liford,OH

Magnum De L’Escarbot

John,

His pointing is beyond excellent. Couple weeks back he was out of sight, but the GPS showed him pointed a grouse in a rock band at 2300 feet. We were descending off the top of a mountain and he winded the bird in ground I would rather avoid. I had to go around. He was still on point 15 minutes later when I climbed back up a more reasonable route from below. Sure footed as a mountain goat. He has even pointed a deer. And, he has learned how to ID sooty grouse 150 feet up monster trees on steep terrain by the sound of their hoot and scent on the ground. I now get close and just watch where he goes. Sure enough, he finds the tree and the bird is 150 feet in the air!

His retrieve has improved this season after improving last season. For the first time he dropped two huge birds nearly at my feet and stepped back. Formerly he has been reluctant to yield the bird. And, he happily runs 200 feet (vertical) or more down slope to retrieve a three pound grouse and haul it all the way back up. (Those things can really roll!). Saves a lot of work on my part.

He goes like a tornado from 8am till 6pm up and down thousands of feet over rainforest jungle, arctic tundra, and mountain terrain. He has faced down 3 bears without flinching. He is one heck of a bird dog and pal.

Frank Bergstrom
Juneau, AK

Magnum De L’Escarbot
Dam: Cerise De L’Escarbot
Sire: Jasper De L’Escarbot
Owner: Frank Bergstrom AK
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

Selby L’Escarbot

Hi John,

Sadly Jody and I had to say goodbye to Selby last Monday.  She was three weeks shy of her 18th birthday.  She was a tough old lady who won hearts wherever she went.  During the procedure there were many tears including all of the vet techs from Animal Care who stepped in to say goodbye.

She was truly a wonderful companion at home, and fierce in the field.  She taught me much about hunting and appreciation of the outdoors, made a believer of hunters who only had flushing breeds, and never whined or yelped in pain.  Even as I was pulling over 70 porcupine quills from her mouth!  Her and my other dog had a porky treed but were barking at the base of the tree.  I approached and noticed a baby porcupine, and then Selby rushed in for the retrieve.  After 10-15 feet she dropped and we went home to start the procedure.  Some were buried deep in her lips.  She would walk away from me and when called returned to have another half dozen pulled.

Once in the field we stopped at a rock pile to determine our next move when I noticed she had her front paw poised in classic pointing dog fashion.  Except there was blood pouring from her paw.  So to the truck and Jody bandaged her and she was done for the weekend.  Poor Jody had to spend time with a very upset hunting dog who was not ready to quit!  Unquestionable prey drive.

I almost instinctively look to step over her favorite resting spots in the house.  She will always be missed, always with treasured memories, and stories to be told over and over.

Thanks for a wonderful companion who was truly a family member,

Sincerely,
Craig and Jody     September 23, 2019

Sire: Nilo de la valletta  (Italy)
Dam: Jipsie De L’Escarbot
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney
Owner: Craig and Jody Larson MN

CA hunting mountain quail

John,

I’m in northern CA hunting mountain quail this week.  I have been on a bit of a quest to complete the quail slam of all 6 North American species and the mountain quail was last on the list. Hunting these birds is tough!

Steep, rocky country, thick cover, and birds that are spread thin and don’t often hold well. As luck would have it, my younger dog got injured on our first morning here so I had to rely heavily on my ten year old campaigner, Dory.

After 3 days of hunting, with Dory on the ground for most of it, I was not the only one impressed. Both my hunting partner and our guide were blown away by Dory’s tenacity and ability to find and hold these difficult birds.

At the end of the day yesterday, he made a wide cast and had an incredible find on a covey of mountain quail at the base of a very steep hill. He held until we arrived on sight – several minutes- and then trailed the running covey to the top of the ridge, where he proceeded to point and hold a number of the spread out singles. Shooting was tough in the dense cover but a few birds were brought to hand. When I told my buddy that I was impressed that he climbed the hill, his response was, “after hunting with  past two days, if he’s on point, I’m going to him wherever he is!”  The guide was equally impressed. I think the only one not surprised was me. After all, I’ve been hunting over Dory for 9 seasons now, and I’ve now shot 16 species over his points.

Cheers,
Keith

Drummer de L’Escarbot (“Dory”) 
Dam: Tabia du Buisson de Choisel (import France)
Sire: Soska du Pont de Cauhet (Import France)
Owner: Keith Marcott (WY)
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

Jolie De’ L’Escarbot

These photos and text are a great example of a L’Escarbot dog showing their versatility.

John
I hope all is well with you and your family. I have been meaning to let you know how Jolie is doing for some time, she is Jaspers liter mate. She is awesome, swimming deep water at 12 weeks and a natural retriever. Great instincts. Fully broke to wing and shot her second season. She naturally backs her brace mate. She is still quite the cuddle pup and loves to talk to us in “britaneze”.

John Cook

Jolie De’ L’Escarbot
Dam: Fabienne de L’Escarbot
Sire: Ipso Facto du Comte de Batz Castlelmore (Import France)
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney
Owner: John Cook  WI

Brie

John – Brie finished the season well – we shot 25 quail, 9 chukars, and 5 pheasants over her yesterday .  She was hunting with 3 English Setters and still retrieved all but 4 quail!  When the setters were ready to lie down and quit , Brie kept going back out to the fields , turning around and barking at me as if to say “hey – there’s still birds out there!”

She only has one speed in the field – 100% all out.  She remains a retrieving machine .  Note that in the photo where she is pointing with the setters she has a bird In her mouth!

I think she might drive me nuts in the off season – I hope I can keep up with her.

Dave

Patch

Greetings

It is humbling to learn that your dog is smarter than you are, especially two days in a row. This time Patch pointed a pheasant and when flushed, it caught a strong SD prairie wind. I shot and it sailed down with the wind 60 yds away. I carefully marked it down calling the dog to me as I was certain with the distance and tall grasses he hadn’t seen where it went down. Finally he came and sniffed around finding nothing. After a futile search we headed back. Patch wandered off to a new area & again miraculously came back with the rooster. Like yesterday, he had found it right away then dropped it to respond to my persistent calling. He must think I am an idiot as a hunting partner – and he may be right!

Ed Crozier

Avenall De L’Escarbot (Patch) twelve years old.
Sire: Storm De L’Escarbot
Dam: Rose De L’Escarbot
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney
Owner: Ed Crozier MN

Nicolette de L’Escarbot

John – Having just returned from the north woods of Wisconsin with my 9 month old French Brittany puppy, I wanted to share my 7 day grouse / woodcock hunting experience with you.  I must admit I was a bit tentative about taking Brie (Nicolette de L’Escarbot) out for a week of hunting Wisconsin ruffed grouse and woodcock – birds that often frustrate the most experienced dogs.  Thanks to your advice, encouragement, and most of all breeding dogs with incredible hunting qualities, Brie performed admirably.  The first day in the woods, she retrieved a wounded woodcock to hand.  There was no hesitation finding and retrieving this bird she had never before encountered.  The next day, she made a blind retrieve on her first grouse that went down in a thick patch of alders.  The highpoint of the hunt was another blind retrieve, but this time is was on a woodcock I dropped in a tamarack bog.  Showing her the general direction where the bird went down, I went into the muck and was soon in over my knees in mud and water.  Brie did not slow down, racing into the thick stuff. After a few minutes, and to the amazement of my fellow hunters, she proudly emerged from the tamaracks with bird in mouth,  She was a very proud pup, and I was a very proud owner.  All agreed it was the highpoint of the hunt.

Overall, Brie hunted close and listened well.  The birds were wary, but she did manage to point and hold a few woodcock.  She retrieved with gusto, and she loved bringing birds back to me.

Thanks for breeding such a great puppy – she is a sweetie at home and a dynamo in the field.  It does not get much better than that.
I have attached photos of Brie’s first woodcock, first grouse, and of her after a morning where we took 5 grouse and 2 woodcock in just a few hours.

Sire: Etoc De L’Escarbot
Dam: Jinni  Du Comte De Batz Castelmore
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

Respectfully,
Dave Antanitus, VA
Rear Admiral, US Navy (retired)

Rose de L’Escarbot (Rosie)

With a very heavy heart I write that one of our L’Escarbot family members has died.   Rose de L’Escarbot (Rosie) age 17 years, 2 months and 21 days gave us great joy as an angel in the house and a demon in the field. Rose was the daughter of Jipsie and granddaughter of Ivee. She was the last of a line of dogs that produced loving companions and outstanding hunting dogs.

As a nine-week-old puppy Rose went to the lake for the first time, following around her reluctant new best friend, Gus, biting at his body parts.  Rose, not wanting to miss anything, fell asleep curled up in the middle of the living room floor, completely wiped out from her first day exploring Oak Lake. Gus wasn’t real fond of little Rose and would avoid her teeth at any cost.  He would growl at her, never hurting her, just a warning for her to stay away.  One day Gus curled up in a corner to escape the little whirlwind, and Rose proceeded to climb up on top of him and curled up for a nap.  All the while Gus was growling and giving little Rose the vibrating bed treatment. This began a long and lasting friendship between the two of them. Hunting and pointing blue gills at the lake, rough housing in the living room until they got yelled at, napping in the office on the same bed, and wandering around the acreage in Hampton. They were friends for thirteen years until Gus passed away at sixteen years old.  Rose was a very sad dog for a couple of weeks not wanting to do much of anything.  Then one day out of the blue she went out into the yard and ran around as fast as she could and came back inside and started acting like her old self again.  She had mourned long enough and was ready for another four years.

Rose, in her prime, was the fastest dog in the kennel.  In the field the other dogs would run to try and catch Rose but they never could. She would turn on the after burners and leave them in the dust.  Rose went on to produce three beautiful litters of puppies.  Her first pregnancy was the most memorable.  Rose was a few days away from giving birth, or so I thought. She was walking around in the dining room while I was in for lunch one day, turned and looked at me with an odd look and proceeded to push out a little puppy. I jumped from my chair and caught the puppy before it landed on the hardwood floor. Rose and I had a very good relationship but she had one thing that she did right up till the end.  Whenever I would walk past her (most dogs would just lay still and let me walk by) Rose would change positions at the last minute or stand up or turn and walk in front of me almost always causing me to trip and stumble.  Of course I would shout ROSE!!!! and she would just walk away.  I will miss all of that.

Rose had two best friends in the world, Abbie and Jeanie.  They could do anything to her, from bows in her hair to birthday cupcakes to cuddling on the couch. They will miss her the most.

Rose slept on Abbie’s bed until she left for college and then kept her spot when it became Frank’s room after that.  When she couldn’t jump up on the bed anymore, Rose would just lay down next to the bed, still close to Frank.

Most people called her Rosie. Rose had many people friends who loved her company who will miss her dearly.  One especially is a girl named Emma who couldn’t pronounce Rose’s name . . . she called her Wose.

Me, I’ll have to get tripped by another.  I’ll miss yelling at you Rosebud.

Thank you

John Mooney
L’Escarbot Kennels
www.lescarbotkennels.com
651.480.7841

 

Veronique d’Lescarbot

Veronique d’Lescarbot 

Gentlemen,

I don’t know if you’ll remember me, but in May 2004 my daughter and I drove up to your kennel from Ohio to pick up our new puppy…Veronique d’Lescarbot (Maggie).  It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that about a month ago Maggie passed-on…she was 13-1/2.  I wanted to write to simply say thank you for breeding such fantastic companions…she was everyone’s favorite.  Maggie hunted until about 2 seasons ago, and together we covered many miles pursuing pheasant, ruffed grouse, & woodcock in Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania; as well as some chukar & huns on a local game preserve near us.  She LOVED to hunt and I LOVED to hunt with her; and if I’m honest, I must admit that she was by far the more reliable & capable member of our team.

More than that, however, she was a family member, friend & companion, who was always there to share in whatever experience we had as a family.  She liked everyone she ever met, and particularly adored our granddaughters.  Maggie didn’t have a course bone in her body, and through her entire life, I never even heard her growl at a person or animal…she was simply the sweetest dog ever, and she was loved by everyone.  I remember telling my wife about your “Angels in the Home, Demons in the Field” saying that you had, and for the first 2-year we had Maggie, my wife would be quick to remind me that you had not been completely truthful.  However, once we got past the adolescent stage, she was exactly that, so I had many opportunities over the years to re-establish your credibility in her eyes…Lol!  We dearly miss her presence around the house as she was just a part of who we were as a family, yet we have many fond memories to keep her spirit alive–which comforts us and always brings smiles (and occasionally tears) to our faces.

So in closing, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you again, John & Bruce, for your dedication to this breed and to the uncompromising characteristics, temperament, and ability that you ensure through your breeding program.  There are really no words to adequately express the joy that she brought into our family life as a result of your dedicated efforts…

Sincerely,

Dale

Dale Ptak

Brunswick, OH

 

Dixie

In January, 2017, my wife, Virginia, and I adopted Dixie, a one-year-old German Wirehaired Pointer.  Dixie (the name we gave him) had been given up by his previous owners because “…they wanted a hunting dog and this one was gun-shy”.  Since Virginia and I had had a previous experience with getting a dog to overcome gun-shyness, we decided to take a gamble on Dixie, and we adopted him.

I contacted John Mooney of L’Escarbot Kennels in March, 2017, after a brief and unsatisfactory experience with another trainer.  John interviewed me over the phone and we made plans to have him meet Dixie.  On the first encounter, John commented that Dixie had a “good temperament”, and that he would be willing to work with him on a one-month commitment, starting May 1.  I agreed, and took Dixie home for some basic heeling and “whoa” training.

I should point out that John emphasized that introduction to the gun comes late in the training, unlike what the previous trainer had done, especially with a dog that has demonstrated some previous shyness.

John was insistent that I call once a week and get an update on Dixie’s progress.  This was not a problem, since I was very anxious for the report, but it impressed me that it was also important to John as well.  To him, Dixie was not just another dog.  He was an individual, and John wanted me to know that.

With each weekly progress report, the news was more exciting.  Before long, I was hearing that “Dixie has a phenomenal nose”, or “Dixie respects me, and we are buddies”, or “Dixie is doing well with shooting”, or “Dixie is getting stronger on the point”.  I could not wait for May 30, and my opportunity to see the two of them in action.

It was better than expected.  I admit I had some trepidation that Dixie would not remember me right away, but that fear dissipated immediately when we were reunited.  He was very excited to see me.  However, it was clear that, with John, Dixie was all business.

We went to an open field and just went through some of the paces with no birds.  John showed me how he had whistle-trained Dixie to “whoa”, “here”, and to change direction while quartering.  It was very apparent that this dog has the potential to be a very good hunter, because, with John’s training, he was behaving just as he should, staying in range, and responding to commands.

Next John set out two birds, with Dixie back in the crate.  This was the moment I was waiting for, because of the gun-shyness history.  True to what John had told me about his nose, Dixie scented the first bird from about 150 yards out.  He pointed it very well (maybe a bit close for John’s liking), and when John flushed and shot the bird, he immediately retrieved it (video will soon be added).  The second bird did not want to get up on its own, but Dixie still had it pointed, and he retrieved when John released it and fired on it.  This retrieve was even better than the first.

Finally, we took Dixie to the river, where there was a deep pool.  John wanted to show me that Dixie, having been bred for waterfowl as well as upland game, would retrieve in the water.  The water was chilly, but he did go in, and retrieved the quail for John.

I could not be more pleased with the training that Dixie received from John Mooney.  To me, it is like a dream come true to see what has been accomplished in a month.  I intend to bring Dixie back for refresher sessions at least twice a month throughout the summer or 2017.  In the fall, I plan to go to a game preserve with Dixie, and later I hope to hunt wild pheasants in South Dakota.  I will keep John appraised of Dixie’s progress.

Bob Schmidt

Zumbrota, MN

Lyric de L’Escarbot TAN JH

Good afternoon, John,

I think you bred the most wonderful EB on the planet!  Lyric finished her AKC Junior Hunter this afternoon at the Kettle Moraine English Setter Club/ Greater Milwaukee Brittany Club hunt test at the Ottawa Fieldgrounds in Eagle, WI.  She needed 3 passes to finish and she did it in style.  Her scores were 9,9,6,7, 8.8.6.7 and 8.8.8.8.  She got lots of attention…she was one of two EBs at the test and she was just outstanding…comments were…”Boy, does she have a motor!”  “Intense drive,” “Gret pointing ability.”  Now we concentrate on agility and start work on Senior Hunter.

I don’t know how you picked the right pup for me but you sure did.  We just love her.  She continues to be an absolute lady in the house and is so intelligent and willing to learn.

I’ll keep you posted on her beginning agility career…I have her planned to start competing in August.  She is learning so fast and just loves the game so I see a great future for her in that sport…as well as field.

Once again, thank you for allowing me to share my life with such a wonderful pup!

Marcia Whitmore

Lyric de L’Escarbot TAN JH

Magnum

John,

An update on Magnum… two weeks ago he was caught in a large conibear trap and nearly killed.  Alaska has very loose trapping regs and this particular trap was set on an often used trail. I am all over Fish and Game about it.

By a true miracle Magnum survived – a testament to his strong neck and stronger fortitude. He choked out before I could open the damn thing and I was very worried he would suffer brain damage. In the may lay I rammed the trigger wire through my finger, which is a small price to pay for his life. His abrasions have healed and fortunately he is back in hunting trim. The only noticeable change is he has become more cuddly in the evenings – that is, between wild and crazy puppy episodes. He is one tough dog!

Over the past two weeks we have had excellent cold clear frosty snow days for chasing ptarmigan. With no instruction of any kind he flushed three birds. I was pleased enough at that, but here’s the kicker… Today he pointed two birds like a real professional. On his own volition he stood at point 30 feet from each of two birds and did not flush. He held point rock solid till after the shot. He even raised one paw as a style point. His retrieve is a little weak, but is improving. He dropped the last bird near my feet, but didn’t want me to pick it up.

He flew through the woods and 8 inches of fresh snow over frozen snow, quartering the woods and cutting countless bird trails. He kept me in sight (mostly) and seldom ranged far beyond shotgun range. He is an excellent hunting partner, and it’s all due to good breeding. Like I said, he is training free. Thank you for such a stout dog of mind, body, and hunting instinct.

Cheers, Frank Bergstrom

Good morning, John,

Here are some pics of Lyric at 11 months…time has flown by!  She is still just a delight…so smart, pretty, athletic…probably the best pup I’ve ever owned.  She is well on her way to doing AKC junior hunter…I plan to enter her in September at the DesPlaines Conservation Area for the G. Shorthair Pointer Club of IL.  That is where I finished Meg’s jr. hunter so I know the area fairly well.

morning in the pasture, July 28, 2016 033 morning in the pasture, July 28, 2016 031Lyric is also a star in agility.  She is too young to compete…I plan to try her first trial next spring.  We are in a class of foundation work…she does all the obstacles and she is understanding “sends” to obstacles and tunnels…we are working on sends to jumps.  I have just started her on weavepoles here at home…I usually wait until a pup is 1 year old to make sure growth plates are sound as doing weaves puts pressure on a pup’s spine as well as leg joints.

Once again, thank you for allowing me to own such a wonderful girl….I love her to bits.  She is perfect in the house with the other two girls…they have taught her proper house behavior and she travels well.  She goes to every agility trial with Meg and me and is always popular with the other handlers…she is well socialized.

Marcia Whitmore (IL)

20160305_093813John

I took this picture on my walk with the dogs this morning. I think the item of interest was a jackrabbit.  Words can’t describe what great dogs they are.

Regards
Dale Strickland WY

Dru De L’Escarbot,  Sire: Soska Du Pont De Cauhet (Import France)  Dam: Tabia Du Buisson De Choisel (Import France).

Franki De L’Escacarbot,  Sire Disk De St. Lubin (Import France)  Dam: Voyouse Du Buisson De Choisel (Import France).

 

Just wanted to thank you guys again for the stellar pup. Seven months but I can see it already. Looking forward to this season! Allison managed to get a shot last weekend on the Minnesota north shore worth sharing with you guys. Great dogs!

 

Matthew & Allison Thompson  MN

“Dax” – Loick De L’escarbot

 

Dam: Fabienne De L’Escarbot

Sire: Jarred Du Comte De Batz Castelmore

DSC_0162

Terrain De L’Escarbot (Sonny)
Dam: Rose De L’Escarbot
Sire: Nilo De La Valleta
Owner: Lee Swanson
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

Hi John & Bruce,   Just a note to say Hi & let you know that Sonny is 14 yrs young today ( Jan. 29, 2016 ) & doing well & still hunting like a champ but just a little slower. Thanks for my best friend.  Lee Swanson

P1000742

Bruce and Petra MN

Hi John,

Our little Rupert continues to completely delight us in every way, including (of course) his hunting abilities. This past weekend I had him out for his first pheasant hunt, and he performed very well. He stays close, checking back with me frequently, even when he’s on a bird. I rarely have to call him back to hunt closer – he seems to have a natural range of 10 to 30 yards that he rarely exceeds. I’ve hunted with a lot of dogs, and it seemed like their owners were always yelling at them to hunt closer. With Rupert, I rarely have to communicate with him at all. He just seems to know what to do.

He seems to have an excellent nose, definitely has endless energy to go all day, and does just fine in heavy cover. A couple of times he took off running after hens that flushed in the distance and then ignored my whistle to get him back, which is a bit annoying. Normally he responds instantly to the whistle. But of course he’s only 9 months old.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I’m having a great time hunting with him. We enjoy him a lot both in the field and in our condo. Except for his habit of finding socks in the house and chewing them up. Oh well…

Best regards,

Bruce and Petra MN

Mike Mollow (CT)

Floyd De L’Escarbot   
Dam: Voyouse Du Buisson De Choisel  (Import France)
Sire: Diska De Saint Lubin (Import France).
Owner: Mike Mollow (CT)
Producer:  John and Bruce Mooney

ohn— Floyd’s 5th hunting season is going very well. Floyd has turned into a woodcock specialist. He’s also such a great guy at home. The kids love him so much. We just lost an older dog and we are in the early stages of thinking about getting Floyd a “sister” French Brittany. I’ll be in touch when we get closer to that day. Thanks again for a really good dog.
Below: the point and the retrieve in Warren, VT

floyd

floyd2

A Letter to John and Bruce

more1John and Bruce,
This is another great note from your teacher friend in New Hampshire. Brady and I spent the Summer in Northern Maine running a conservation camp. The picture I am sending you is from a youth hunters apprentice ship program through Safari Club International. Brady and I were asked to help with 12 young kids on a Pheasant hunt. Pheasants are hard for Brady a little just because they run so much. But as the picture shows Brady was on a long track after a young man winged this pheasant. I heard Brady’s bell far out in the thick stuff and thought he lost the bird so I called him back around and when he was coming back his bell went silent.

So I figured he was pointing the pheasant, to my amazement when I went in to flush the bird, Brady had the pheasant in his mouth and was locked on a woodcock. I couldn’t believe that with a nose full of pheasant he would still point his favorite bird to hunt!!!!!! We are still training and learning, but Brady is only two and I am still a rookie, But we love to do it all. Thanks again for this amazing experience.

Best Wishes, David Kenney

She’s a hoot!

bellaJohn,

I thought I’d give you an update, long over-due, on Bella.  She’s a hoot!  Great personality!  Moans and groans as she’s petted.  She loves to fetch and runs the field and wood very well.  We didn’t have much luck with ruff’s (low numbers) near our deer camp this year but she certainly covered the ground and will catch on to them.  Worked up a couple fairly well and did well on the few woodcock encountered.  I was invited to a game farm with a couple guys who ran labs.  We hunted them first and didn’t have great luck.  Put them away and we brought out Bella and walked to where we saw a roost enter the tall grass.  She went the complete 1800 wrong direction into the short grass despite my pleas.  Not a good first impression on the lab guys.  Until she went on point and we all hurried along in the cut grass to flush a hidden hen!  We bagged that bird and then the hunt was on!  Back to the tall grass and we simply stood still and watched her cover lots of ground.  When I mentioned we could follow her the guys thought it was great just to stand and watch.  She was brilliant.  I was proud.  Of Bella, not my shooting.  We finished the field with her and brought out the labs again and didn’t scare up another bird.  One of the guys told me he talked about this little dog the entire next day at work.  With snow melted we’re getting back out into the woods or pastures, whatever we can find, and both getting some needed exercise.

 

The attached photo shows how smart she is and maybe a new training technique.

 

Hope you’re catching spring fever,

 

Craig Larson
Bemidji, MN

He is 17 months old now

John,

I haven’t spoken to you in a while but I thought I would tell you that I am very pleased with Gus. He is 17 months old now and has seen plenty of pen raised birds throughout the winter: chukers and pheasants. He is working well and I love his nose and I really am getting used to his point. He points from a longer distance than our previous FB. I think this will be an asset on grouse. He is retrieving nicely, but still has a a tendency to want to keep the bird and play with it. He is good at home and all the family love him. I think he will make a fine bird dog and I am glad I made the choice of your kennel. He is quite the athlete:40 lbs. of pure muscle. There is no stop in his desire!

Michael Krause

Update on Zephyr

zephyrHi John,

Just wanted to send you another update on Zephyr (Jesper de L’Escarbot), as we are excited to celebrate his very first Christmas with us! Thought you’d also enjoy his picture with Santa we got taken at Petco a few weeks ago, which I’ve attached! He got lots of compliments from everyone he met that day — he’s such a handsome and well-behaved boy!

Zephyr will be starting his third level of obedience courses in January as well! He just completed his second one for older puppies last weekend and passed with flying colors! Definitely the smartest puppy in his whole class…he has amazing focus, impulse control, and absolutely loves to please, which really sets him apart from the other dogs, in my opinion. He truly enjoys learning new things! In fact, we are currently on the track to earning his Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog certification!

I hope all is well with you! Have a merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Alyssa Elbert IA

Its been quite while since I touched base

John,

Its been quite  while since I touched base.  I think Dory (official name Drummer) is now 6 and has quite a few miles and birds behind him.  He’s been a great dog and the only one left in my kennel after I put down the other 2 I had at the time he joined us.

Anyway, Dory has hunted a great variety of birds over the past 6 years including ruffed grouse, woodcock, snipe, Sharptailed, Sage, and Blue grouse, plus pheasants , huns, and chukars.  This September we flew to AK and I shot all three species of ptarmigan over him as well. He is a driven bird finder and I’d have to say that his specialty is covey birds in big country – he is absolutely death on chukars.

Anyway, thought you might like a couple of pics, so see attached.

Cheers,

Keith Marcott

Tater is doing well

John,

I have Bernadette — more commonly known as Tater, from your 2006 breeding of Toy and Tabia.     Tater is doing well — we just got back from a week of ruffed grouse hunting in Maine.   She is healthy and in her prime.   But my older dog — the male Aussie you met briefly and worried about — is 14 now and it will be time to have another dog in the house in a year or so to keep Tater company.     I have so much appreciated Tater’s trueness to your breeding vision that I want to get another of your puppies.    She has been everything you told me she would be and more — extraordinarily athletic, as smart as any Border Collie I’ve ever met, a tremendous hunter, and a wonderful house companion.

So, while I am not ready to get a puppy right now, I would ask that perhaps you could let me know about upcoming breedings so that I can put my name in early.   If that requires a deposit now, let me know.

Thanks for the great work you do with these dogs.

Regards,

Bob Stalick

Here is a great picture of Harper

harper_lgHi John-

Here is a great picture of Harper. She is very intense with fantastic hunting instinct and loads of field trial potential. She won the open division in the North Dakota field trial this spring. She always is willing to please and has a smile on her face! Thanks for a great dog!

Anne

Thank you for your great training of Igor

John,

I just want to share a note and thank you for your great training of Igor.  I took him out for the first time in front of birds this fall since you trained him in April.  Since he has so much energy and drive I was worried how he would react when he found his first bird.  I was overjoyed.  He locked on scent/sight and didn’t move until we flushed the birds.  He also immediately retrieved and dropped the birds for me as well.  All told we flushed all 8 birds we had placed in the field.  He also returns promptly on the whistle.  I am excited to get him up north in a couple weeks to see how he does going after grouse.

Feel free to post this on your testimonial page.

Thanks Again,

Greg Vacura
MN

You are a miracle worker!

John,

You are a miracle worker!

A few years ago we were researching kennels and dog trainers to see if a trainer could exercise the “gun shyness demons” from our 3 year old French Brittney, Tudors.

I’m glad we found you.  Even though Tudors was not one of your own kennel raised  pups, you were still very interested in helping us with a major correction given the severity of Tudors gun shy condition.  When Tudors heard anything remotely similar to a gun or pop, he would run to a corner to find security and breath so heavily we thought he was going to have a heart attack!  It was good to hear that you were confident that you could correct his fear of the gun.  We thought you displayed an incredible amount of knowledge and applied some really good psychology…..for everyone involved.  We really liked your approach and the professionalism from start to finish.    As we didn’t know what to expect, you wanted to see if you could achieve progress after 3 visits before taking him for a month of training.  This meant a lot to Natalie and me as we loved him for the companion he was in the house and we didn’t want that part to change, but we also wanted to see if he could live his life for what he was meant to be in the field.

We were blessed with Tudors being such a loveable and affectionate dog, as it turns out, none of this part changed.  I think he loves us even more because you opened a new world of fun and purpose for him!

Tudors is now 5 and he has spent hundreds of hours in the field over the past 2 years gaining lots of “on the job experience.”  I can say that at the end of each days hunt, he and I get better at being a team.  As you told me, with Tudors less is more.  He does everything he is supposed to do in the field and I don’t need to give him much instruction, and when I do he figures it out.  When I have hunted him with other dogs, even flushers, I think Tudors is one of the best if not the best dog in the field.  Tudors can change styles and approach because he has learned the difference between a hunting  in the aspen forest and how to handle those conditions versus a pheasant habitat.  I could go on and tell you stories about his eagerness to hunt, his bird pinning points and crazy retrieves, but I’m much more happy about the fact that he now loves the sound of the gun!

Great job John!  I’m glad we found you!

Mason
MN

First outing with Nikki

John,

I just wanted to share a story from my first outing with Nikki, a puppy that I got from you.  Nikki almost yard trained herself by following my old dog around.  When dove season rolled around she was almost 6 months old.  We normally don’t get a lot of action where I hunt, so I thought it would be a good time to introduce her to the gun.  We went out and our first dove came in.  I shot and dropped it in some chest high grass.  I looked down and Nikki was gone.  I started swearing at myself thinking I messed up an excellent dog by rushing the training.  Less than a minute later Nikki came out of the grass with the dove in her mouth.  She brought it right to me and gave it up without a problem.  We had more action than normal that day and I had one of my best shooting days on doves ever. When we were done,  I rode the golf cart back to the farmhouse and the farmer walked up to us.  He said he heard all of the shooting and asked if we got many of them.  I can’t remember how many we had but it was near a dozen.  He knew where I was hunting and knew about the grass.  When I told him Nikki retrieved them all he said that’s one great dog you have there.  Since then we have had many great years and a lot of great stories.   I got Nikki from you guys 8 years ago and am going to be getting another puppy from you next year.

Thanks,

Ed OH

I wanted to share my recent hunting experience

John,

Good to catch up with you yesterday.  I wanted to share my recent hunting experience.

Edgard de L’Escarbot – 4 ½ yrs. old
Father – Soska
Mother – Abbie

Walk-in Hunting just east of Pollock, SD

“Hunting Dead”

John,  I wanted to share my recent “tracking” experience in South Dakota.  My good friend his Labrador and I were hunting a Walk-In area which was comprised of a large lake bordered by approximately 75 yards of the nasty, thick cattails.  We were walking in the grassy area beyond the cattails when Edgard sharply pointed a loafing Ringneck.  The bird burst from the scene and my friend and I shot simultaneously thinking the bird was dead and hit very hard.  As we reached the area the bird dropped, we were surprised to see that it was not there and had escaped (poor shooting).  The dogs heard the command, “Dead Bird, Find it” and began to work the area around where the bird had dropped.  After about a minute my friend called out that Edgard was on point on the edge of the cattails.  As I entered the cattails, I noticed Edgard locked down pointing a large clump of reeds and cattails.  I gave the command, “Fetch it up” and he raced into the clump followed by the Labrador.  Both dogs ran franticly trying to located the wounded bird with no luck.  This went on for about ten minutes with no bird to be found.  At that time my friend called his dog off the search and I gave three sharp whistle blasts to call back Edgard.  As my friend and his Labrador returned to the grassy area, I was having trouble calling the dog back.  Being that I use a Garmin Astro GPS unit for my dog I decided  to look at my receiver.  The unit showed his travel through the thick cattails in the direction of the lake..45 – 50 – 60 – 75 yards, then the unit beeped “on point”.  Thinking that he was on another bird, I trudged the 75 yards through the thickest cover I’ve ever been through to find the location of dog.  As I came within 5 yards I still could not locate the dog due to the heavy cover.  As I took one more step, I saw the dog just to my right in two foot of water, locked down tight with his nose just above the cattails.  I gave the command again, “Fetch it up” and he buried his head in the heavy cover grabbing the Rooster by the neck and dragging him out from under the cover delivering the bird to hand.  I couldn’t believe that he had tracked this crippled bird nearly 75 yards, through the thickest and wettest area I had ever seen!   We then made the nearly 100 yard journey back to my friend and his Labrador who I know thought we were on a wild goose chase. As we got closer I held up the crippled bird with true pride and my friend couldn’t believe what he saw. I think his words were, “WOW that is impressive”!    In all the time hunting with Edgard, I remember him tracking many crippled birds, but this one was the most impressive ever!

Thanks,

Dan Shirey
Birmingham, AL

Ellie has really come on this year so far

Ellie has really come on this year so far.

We had built a johnny house and have been working her on loose quail and she is really doing well!  We have some tremendous fliers and they act very wild.

Was up north last weekend for grouse and woodcock and lots of bird contacts.  But the highlights were the three separate grouse coveys she pointed and HELD!  I was able to shoot grouse out of each covey.

She is holding her own against a pretty darn good 5 year old GSP.  Heading up for more grouse and woodcock for 3 weekends in Oct.

Here is a picture my daughter took today as ellie was pointing a quail.

Also attached a video of her run today.

Not quite finished but darn close.

I tagged the kennel as well so if someone searches youtube for your kennel this should pop up as a vid.

http://youtu.be/ZXbI_aze73I

Happy hunting this fall!

Cory
Cottage Grove, WI

I wanted to write and thank you

John – I wanted to write and thank you for all the help through the first season with Geron (Mr. G).  The first year has been a tremendous time challenge for me as my twin girls arrived six months after Mr. G.  Even before I put my deposit down for a pup, you were a great source of help & knowledge.  I appreciate you being open to me calling you about vets, food, toys, obedience, exercise, training gear, e-collars, retrieving, boarding, etc.  I’m pretty sure you were sick of me and then I sent him back to you for a month of formal obedience & field training.  Even before I sent Mr. G out to you, you made it very clear as to what you wanted to accomplish with him and set my expectations appropriately.  We discussed his progress weekly and I was able to visit right before he was sent home, which was primarily to train me to keep his development going.  Six months after hunt camp, Mr. G continues to get better in the field and you continue to answer my calls for advice, thank you.

My testimonial would not be the same without a hunting story…we were making one last pass along the road above the river when Mr. G pointed straight down a 30 foot bank.  Without pause, my hunting partner goes down the bank and flushed a pheasant.  We both instinctively shot the bird, which was over the middle of the river.  Mr. G looked up at me, ‘should I go get it’ just as my buddy runs past me, throwing his gun at me, and heads down river yelling ‘I got it!’  I was thinking ‘is he going to swim for it, idiot…’ Then Mr. G takes off in hot pursuit…as I’m stumbling down river carrying equipment, I look up, Mr. G is in the middle of the river, spots the bird, swims directly to it, grabs it & swims back, hand delivering it to my buddy.  I’m pretty sure I yelled out ‘F-YEAH!!’ more than once.

I’ve really enjoyed what a workhorse he is in the field and a devoted family member at home.  He is great with my little girls (all kids actually) and my morning coffee would not be the same without Mr. G sitting in my lap, chewing his bone, & then falling asleep.  I’ll be ordering more in the future…I promised each girl a puppy.

Thanks, Andrew
Portland, Oregon

I wanted to send a note along with a picture

sonny_dogJohn & Bruce,

I wanted to send a note along with a picture of Sonny ( TERRAIN DE L’ESCARBOT ) on his 11th Birthday,   January 29, 2013.   Sonny & I spent the day chasing pheasant at the North Wing game farm in Pine City and as usual he performed like a Champ.  Over the years Sonny & I have had many great trips thru out Minnesota & the Dakota’s hunting and always have been successful. I also must say that my hunting buddies are always amazed at Sonny & his great nose and energy & the fact that he has never lost a bird.  So I just want to say that since I brought Sonny home from the L’ Escarbot Kennels I couldn’t be happier with my great companion & friend.

Thank you both again,

Lee Swanson
Burnsville, MN

I picked up my new pup from you when he was six weeks old

John,

I picked up my new pup from you when he was six weeks old, watched him play and grow at the lake until I brought him back for training at 51/2 months.  Hugo (Holter) had turned into a driven hunting machine upon arrival back, really intense. When we met in Fergus Falls I brought him directly to the forests in northern MN. His first point and retrieve was about 15 minutes into the hunt, also his first sniff of a wild ruff grouse. I think it surprised and pleased both of us, big smiles on our faces. From that moment on we have hunted Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana and North Dakota multiple times. This puppy has got the Grand Slam: Grouse, Partridge and Pheasant under his young belt this year.

I think he tried to impress you in South Dakota when we hunted together there. Both Hugo and Etoc were on point at the end of the shelter belt. The rooster flushed, was shot and Hugo made a 50 yard retrieve right to my hand.  Since then he has seen hundreds of birds and learned so much. At 9 months now, he is eager to please and on his way to becoming a very impressive dog. I had never had a pointer, there was much to learn about this different way of hunting. I am glad Hugo is patient with me.

With the 2012 season winding down we just got back from pheasant hunting in Mott, ND. Snow covered fields provided the back drop for a late season hunt. The birds were grouped up and spooky. Hugo pointed and retrieved a 3 day limit of roosters each day. It was so fun watching him. I can hardly wait until next season. Thanks for the great French Brittany Spaniel.

Bill Augustadt
Battle Lake, MN

Just over two years ago

Hello John and Bruce,

Just over two years ago we brought home from your kennel an 8 week old French Brittany Spaniel Fonce whom we now call Zoey.  After finding our 6 year old American Brittany and best hunting friend had terminal cancer we were in a bit of a panic to find a great dog to fill his shoes.  After much research we decided a French Brittany may be a better fit for our family and hunting needs.  We then began the search for a reputable breeder and a good dog we were shocked to find that the premier U.S. French Brittany breeder was just a short drive from our home and happened to have a larger than average litter with exactly what we wanted a female tricolor ready to take home in just a few days.  Our decision was made and the next week we made the trip to your kennels to pick up our Zoey, daughter of Cerese and Diska.  We began training right away with your detailed instructions and at 6 months old we took her out to the game farm so we could shoot some birds over her.  The pheasants were bigger than her but she did awesome!  She has since done some grouse hunting as well as pheasant and Chucker.  We just returned from a season warmup at the pheasant farm.  At 2 years old she is a fantastic hunter she listens flawlessly, marks and retrieves beautifully and holds a point perfectly.  Not to mention she is a wonderful family pet, wonderful with the neighborhood kids and always up for a good snuggle.

We are so very happy we jumped at the chance to have one of your dogs and could not be happier with her hunting ability and demeanor she is a total sweetheart.

Joel Moulton
Waconia, MN